Stand By Me
by JC's angel
Summary: (new, chapter 2!* Will recieves a letter that changes his life. *after the end* non-slash. *rating subject to change*
1. The Letter

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of "AKT". I may however own certain characters who pop up on occasion. I don't own "The Canterbury Tales" which Chaucer may recite throughout this fanfic. This fic won't make me any money so don't sue me, cause i dont have any!

AN: this occurs after "A Knights Tale".  I got to thinking about what lies ahead for the gang and especially for Jocelyn and Will.  So let me know what you think. As of right now this is a short story, but continuing it is not out of the question. 

**~*~ Stand by Me ~*~**

**            Copyright Jc's Angel . **

            After the World Cup, the gang (Chaucer, Kate, Wat, Roland and William) returned to the forests to rest up before next year's season. With Will's prize money, they had bought a quaint cottage near the training clearing. Roland and Christiana (Jocelyn's handmaiden) had gotten married and she lived with them also.  The six were gathered on top a grassy knoll near the cottage, after a day of swimming in the lake nearby. They weren't saying much, just gathered around the fire.  Wiliam was off to the side, staring dismally onto the lake nearby. Kate, sitting on a log, glanced his way and then back at Chaucer, who was beginning his theatrical antics again. 

_            "When April with his showers sweet with fruit _

_ The drought of March has pierced unto the root _

_And bathed each vein with liquor that has power _

_To generate therein and sire the flower; _

_When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath, _

_Quickened again, in every holt and heath, _

_The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun _

_Into the Ram one half his course has run, _

_And many little birds make melody _

_That sleep through all the night with open eye" Chaucer rhymed, ending in a sweeping bow.  Kate laughed and clapped. Roland and Christiana were a bit to *busy* to notice. _

            "God, what is that?" Wat asked, wrinkling his face in disgust. The power of poetry could never quite touch him. And even though they lived together, Wat and Chaucer always grated on each others nerves.

            "That is poetry. Just a little something that was passing through my head." 

            "Well, allow it to keep going. That thing is horrible." Wat commented. Chaucer stepped towards him, fist raised, and decided against it. He merely shook his head at the younger man's uneducated beliefs. Kate looked up.

            "I, for one, like it Geoff." She said and then moved her eyes back to the lone form.

            "Thank you. See.. someone in this group has some taste. " Geoff answered. His eyes followed her gaze. "Whats wrong with Ulrich there?"

            "He got a letter from Jocelyn today." Kate answered.

            "Shouldn't that make him happy?" Wat exclaimed.

            "I dont think it was exactly the best news." Kate commented as she got up and sat next to Will on the hillside. She looked over at him, and was shocked to see his warm brown eyes glistening with tears. They sat in silence for awhile, gazing at the horizon as the sun disappeared and the stars lit up the sky. The rest went back to the the cottage and still they sat there. Finally, Will spoke.

            "Jocelyn is marrying Adhemar. She doesn't want to, but her father is forcing her to." Will spoke, his voice gravelly with pain. Kate wanted to reach out and wrap him her arms, but she held back. 

            " But why? You are a knight, surely he will allow you two to...."

            "A knight? I'm not a knight. Sure I have the title, but thats it. I dont have the money, nor the lineage, nor the estate she deserves. A title is not enough for her father, Kate. Its not enough for him that I love her, that I would do anything for that, I would die before she had to feel one ounce of sadness. We may have won the World Cup, but Adhemar won in the end. " Will said angrily. He vaulted up and hurled a rock at the lake below. "That trophy, that money means nothing. I didn't win, I lost. I lost the only thing that means anything to me: Jocelyn."

            "Maybe you can go there and save her before its too late." 

            "Its too late already. They are to be married tomorrow morning in London;Westminster Abbey. We are too far to make it in time. She won't rebel against her father's wishes, I know she wont. For all the fiestiness in her, which I love about her most of all, she won't rebel against her father's wishes. She knows her duty. It was simply juvenile for us to think that we could rebel against tradition and marry." 

            "It wasn't juvenille; it was love. It was hope. Hope is what guides us through the day, and especially the night. And this is your night now, Will.  Just hope that even though she is with Adhemar, she'll still love you. Better yet, know she will. How could she not?" Kate answered, the last said more to herself than to him. She put up a hand to his cheek, as if she were comforting a child. But the feelings she had for him were anything but those for a child. She felt a stir inside of her as he looked down at her, his face both shadowed in the dark, and illuminated by the moon. His dark etes glistened with passion. Passion for Jocelyn, and not for her. Kate had to mentally check herself to stop the urge to reach up and kiss him.  

            She was in love with Will; the man that had given her a chance to shine when no one else would, the man that worked endlessly for to "change his stars." The man that had inspired her to be more than what everyone said she would be. The man that had made her feel like a woman after a year or more of being just the blacksmith and a widow. The man she had started out liking as a friend, which progressed to genuinly caring about, and then loving as much (or more ) than her previous husband, God rest his soul.  It pained her to see he was in pain. But yet, she felt a stab of hope. Jocelyn was out of the picture, maybe there was room for her... She forced herself to stop this train of thought. This was not the time to think of her needs. William was hurt, and thats what she must think of. 

            Without warning, he began to shake and leaned down, burying his head in her shoulder, his tears wetting the soft material and running down her body. Stunned at the uncharacteristic display of emotion from the strong knight, she was immobile for a quick moment, and then she wrapped his arms around his back, holding him close. She brushed his hair with her hand, murmuring soft words of sympathy and comfort as emotions of empathy coursed through her. She knew how it felt to lose the one you loved above all others; twice, with William and John, her husband. She couldn't stop the hot tears that fell as she clutched him closer to her heart, as they cried for the loves they both had lost.

            After a long while, Will pulled back. He smiled in pain at her. 

            "Thank you." He said, moving a hand unconciously to brush away her tears. She shivered at his touch and looked up at him.

            "For what?" 

            "For understanding." With that Will rose, and made his way back to the cottage. Kate watched him go until his dark form faded into the night, and then looked out across the moonlit waters, searching for an answer. There was none to be found on the calm surface of the lake and she stood up, and bade a silent goodnight to the stars. She turned and headed back towards the light of the cottage. 

~*~ 

What do y'all think? Should I continue or should I leave it at that?


	2. Reunions

Stand By Me ~ Chapter 2

Jocelyn sat by the window of the Windsor Castle, staring blankly out the window, her hands folded in her white, heavily brocaded lap. She twisted the old diamond and ruby ring on her finger nervously as she grimly watched carriages leaving to make their way to St. George's chapel for her wedding . She didn't know what she was searching for. A knight on a bay horse with a green shield of phoenixes to perhaps coming riding up to rescue her ? She knew he would not have gotten the letter in time to make a daring rescue, Adhemar had made sure of that.   
  
She flirted with the notion of for a brief moment of escaping to Canterbury to be with Will, but she knew she could not and would not do such a thing. For however large the independent streak was in her, Jocelyn knew her duty was to obey the wishes of her father. In this case, it would mean marrying the Count and then obeying him.   
  
A knock on the door interrupted her reverie. Her new handmaiden, Isabel, came in. She had replaced Christiana and Jocelyn didn't trust him, as she was hired by Adhemar.   
  
"Are you almost ready, mistress? Your father and the carriage are waiting." the bride quickly wiped away the tars that had escaped from her eyes on to her cheeks. She stood up and came to the door.   
  
" I'm as ready as I'll ever be. " with that, she headed down to meet her fate.   
  
  
~*~ Early Spring ~*~  
  
It was opening day of the jousting season. Will had finished first over Adhemar, which left him in quite a good mood. In the days since the wedding, his hatred of the count had festered until he would do anything to hurt Adhemar. At the tourney, his eyes had been distracted searching the seats for Jocelyn, to know avail. Thus he went to the ball with the hope of seeing her again, even though she could not be his.   
  
He took his seat as champion at the head table and searched for years. It seemed like years to him as he watched the couples enter. Kate, as his escort, noticed his tension. He had just given up hope for their appearence when he saw her shining face emerge from the crowd. He experienced a flurry of emotions at that very moment, none stronger than the feeling of utmost love. And then, his eyes traveled lower, and his heart crashed from its high in the clouds to his feet.   
  
He watched, seething silently, as the were escorted to the other side of the king and queen. As they ate he had to use every once of willpower (no pun intended) he possessed to keep his eyes averted from the her and to not leap across the table to throttle the lord's throat. His hands stayed clenched in his lap. Kate noticed him, and tensed, laying a hand on his thigh, trying to quiet him.   
  
As the plates were swept away, and the orchestra struck up a waltz, the knight of the phoenix made his way past the dancing couples to the count's table. He forced himself to greet the Count civilly, who wore an extremly smug and satisfied look in his eyes. It was all he could do to not slap the pompous face. Finally, he allowed himself the pleasure of basking in the beautiful light that was Jocelyn. He bowded down in front of her and kissed her raised hand, which had her ring on it. He gritted his teeth as he stood up, searching for the love that used to be in her eyes. He was rewarded.  
  
" Good evening Countess."  
  
"Good evening Sir Thatcher," Jocelyn answered, smiling more in her eyes than her face. William knew it was because of the count's presence.   
  
" I see that you are expecting." Will commented dryly, a lump in his throat. Jocelyn opened her speak as the Count jumped to answer.  
  
"Yes, my wife is with child. We are throughly blessed to be so fortunate so soon after our marriage." Once again, Ulrich had the urge to hit him as Adhemar snaked an arm around her body. He bowed again that Countess.  
  
  
"I must visit others now. Congratulations Countess. Count," With that he turned and briskly walked to the door, trying very hard not to shed the tears that were building. Kate saw his departure and hurried after him.   
  
Will was just mounting his horse and whipping her into a gallop as she reached the Mews. SHe sighed and grabbed a spare horse and followed him. Will lost all sense of the world as he urged the mare to go faster, the tears coming freely. He heard the staccato of Kate's gelding struggling to keep up. Earlier, that win over his rival had made him feel like the victor. But Adhemar had Jocelyn, and thats all that mattered. HE finally came to his sense as the mare slowed down of her own accord outside the city limits She was old and breathing hard, and Will dismounted to make his stupidity easier on her . Kate arrived a few minutes later, in time to watch as Will attacked a tree trunk with his sword. She led her horse over to drink and watched as he slashed pieces from the tree.  
  
"God, what did it do to you. Make an acorn drop on you head? Now I'm afraid what you might do if I yelled at you for something," Kate commented, trying to liven up the situation. WIll didn't answer but his thrusts into the tree, slowed down. She stood beside him and laid a hand on his arm. "Will..."   
  
"I. don't. want .to. talk .about .it. Period," he answered briskly walking away. Kate shook her head and turned to leave, but decided against it. She went in front of him, her hands on her hips.  
  
"Get over it Will. She's with Adhemar now. You can't do anything about. She may love you still, but she is with another man. If you don't stop looking towards the past and examining whats in front of you then you will never be happy again. You will love and be loved again. Maybe if you opened your eyes to see whats right in front of you, you'd see that." Kate said, and the next moment regretted it completley. WIll looked up and regarded her closely, almost as if seeing her for the first time. He didn't say anything but stood up, and walked away. He got back on his mount and looked down at her. THere was no evidence of his earlier outburst.   
  
"Are you coming?" he asked. Kate shook her head at the fickle ways of men and got on her horse and together they made the long journey back to the city.


End file.
